Mr. DeMille! I'm ready for my close-up!

[MiAmigo]

Has the Amiga ever actually been featured in a movie? Not as the FX engine, but as a star? I know, a few years ago, there was an intermindable, and unbearable period where you couldn't go to the show without see a gratuitous close-up of an Apple/MAC machine. It felt like the only place they were actually being used was the movies. But, I don't recall ever seeing an Amiga in a movie. Did it ever happen?

[Calen]

Has the Amiga ever actually been featured in a movie? Not as the FX engine, but as a star?

Only times i recall seeing Amigas in a film are just little second glimpses here and there, blink and you miss it kinda thing.
Of course yeah.. it's been used heavily in alot of films and Tv shows in the late 80's early 90's for effects/behind the scenes..

This may shed some light on things, err kinda.
movies

[X-ray]

I can remember one movie (not the title though) where an audio ransom tape was sent to the police, making various demands. The hostage taker had typed his demands into a computer and got it to 'say' the text, and recorded that audio output to tape. Going by memory, this is the ensuing conversation between the police lab technician and the detective in charge of the case:

Detective: "Is this some kind of voice scrambler?"
Tech: "It's definitely computer-generated, it's not the guy's voice."
Detective: "Can you trace the computer? What computer is this?"
Tech: "Could be an Apple or an Amiga, there's no way to trace it."

----------------------------------------------------------

That's the only time I remember the Amiga being mentioned by name. It bugs me that I can't remember the film name or any of the actors.

[Speelgoedmannetje]

of course it was an Amiga :-D

(Disclaimer: hereby I declare that I do not condone crime, wether with aid of an Amiga or not)

[MiAmigo]

X-ray wrote:
I can remember one movie (not the title though) where an audio ransom tape was sent to the police, making various demands. The hostage taker had typed his demands into a computer and got it to 'say' the text, and recorded that audio output to tape. Going by memory, this is the ensuing conversation between the police lab technician and the detective in charge of the case:

Detective: "Is this some kind of voice scrambler?"
Tech: "It's definitely computer-generated, it's not the guy's voice."
Detective: "Can you trace the computer? What computer is this?"
Tech: "Could be an Apple or an Amiga, there's no way to trace it."

----------------------------------------------------------

That's the only time I remember the Amiga being mentioned by name. It bugs me that I can't remember the film name or any of the actors.

That's funny. I remember way back 'in the day', I used to use my Amiga's voice synthesis for the outgoing message on my tape-based answering machine. Everybody thought it was so cool, probably because it sounded so 'artificial' and robot-like. And, no one ever figured out just how I got this 'computer' to say my name, or give out my message! I had one of those Panasonic anwering machines, which you could actually set up to call you when you got a message (very convenient, back in those days). Anyway, one night, I was at work, and it called. My boss anwered the phone, and he really freaked out! The voice on the other end really scared him good! We laughed about it for a long time. (He was a 'no-tech' person).  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[MiAmigo]

Calen wrote:

Has the Amiga ever actually been featured in a movie? Not as the FX engine, but as a star?

Only times i recall seeing Amigas in a film are just little second glimpses here and there, blink and you miss it kinda thing.
Of course yeah.. it's been used heavily in alot of films and Tv shows in the late 80's early 90's for effects/behind the scenes..

This may shed some light on things, err kinda.
movies

To quote Darth Vader, "Impressive. Most impressive." I know I saw at least 70% of the films listed, and I had no idea that the Amiga had appeared in any of them, much less done the special effects. (Although I was aware of the fact that it had been used for such jobs). Still, the list of FX films is quite impressive, even by today's standards. This Amazing Machine was able to churn out some pretty sophisticated CG, with specs at a tiny percentage of what PCs today use. I'll have to go and rent some 'old movies' one day, to have another look at those graphics, and, also, to try and spot some of the Amiga's cameos. For some reason, this all makes me damn proud!  :-D

[cecilia]

for some odd reason i have a feeling there may have been amigas used in the TV show SeaQuest.

[Cymric]

Yes, as well as Babylon 5, if memory serves me. (I need to buy that series on DVD, I've heard lots of good things about it: it is supposed to have an actual plot.)

[cecilia]

Cymric wrote:
Yes, as well as Babylon 5, if memory serves me.

well, in that case, an amiga farm was used to render the first season effects - and that got an emmy. by the way.

in the case of Seaquest, i thought there may have been an actual amiga appearance on screen (as well as a few effects, but that i'm just not sure about. so don't go by me on this.

(I need to buy that series on DVD, I've heard lots of good things about it: it is supposed to have an actual plot.)

yes, Joe is not only a good writer, he had the Great Harlan Ellison as consultant (as he insisted on being called). Trust me, this series is FAB-U-lous.
It's like real science fiction. it's about people. and complex ideas. it rules!

And amigas were used to kick it off!
where are.... dance de banan?
 :banana:

[Calen]

for some odd reason i have a feeling there may have been amigas used in the TV show SeaQuest.

Yeah, i heard this to, along with that Robocop Tv show also

Yes, as well as Babylon 5, if memory serves me. (I need to buy that series on DVD, I've heard lots of good things about it: it is supposed to have an actual plot.)

Yeah, B5 and the Amiga usage in it is very well known. IIRC, Season 1 was the only season they used the Amiga, they then upgraded to some other comps, pc's prolly. upgraded?  
I watched season 1 on DVD quite recently and JMS (the father of B5)half mentioned this, but i think he said Atari instead of Amiga in the extras, arghgh!
I think you even catch a glimpse of a Commodore monitor in the extras to, whoopy ;-) along with an ST which was used in the sound studio with Chris Franke
I'm into Season 2 atm and things are getting good, my memory has faded on some of it as i havent watch the entire show in  6 years or more, but it's still good as ever.

Cymric:
Yeah it's a great show, easily my favourite TV sci-fi show ever. The best way to watch it is with DVD as it's a 5 year long story and to jump into the middle of it, you would just get plain lost on the storyline as it is quite complex in places.
Season 1 is slow and cryptic with alot of unanswered questions, serves well to remember that season further on in

The extra's from the DVD are great to see after all this time, you get to know more about the whole B5 universe from the man himself and the cast and crew. JMS is such a deep intelligent storyteller. Looking forward to watching the rest over the coming weeks...

While i'm here, i might as well mention that B5 is geting its own big movie, not TV movie but a theatrical release.
It's called B5:TMOS (The Memory of Shadows)
Still early stages on weather it will be made and with the original cast... but shooting is suppose to begin very soon in the UK.

[Tigger]

Babylon 5 - First Movie, plus the first season.

Seaquest - All 3 seasons, though the third season some of it was done by PC versions of Lightwave.

As for someones comment about upgrading (being a downgrade), some real world numbers.

Stock A4000 040/25 was only 1/10 as fast as a Pentium 100, both running Lightwave 4.0 (the first PC version of lightwave).  Thats why the shows using lightwave moved to the PCs pretty quickly.  Plus of course Commodore had just gone under and Amiga 4000's were at a premium, I sold one of mine with toaster (no flyer) for $4500 in 95.
   -Tig  

[Cymric]

cecilia wrote:

(I need to buy that series on DVD, I've heard lots of good things about it: it is supposed to have an actual plot.)

yes, Joe is not only a good writer, he had the Great Harlan Ellison as consultant (as he insisted on being called). Trust me, this series is FAB-U-lous.

But is it worth the $330 :-o for the complete extended edition DVD set? (That's what this guy on eBay was charging for it, at least... :roll:)

[cecilia]

i don't know.
add it up
i don't get stuff from ebay

[Cymric]

Well, I was just browsing around eBay to look for odd stuff when I thought about typing in this particular set. However, I found the site you referred me to to be less than helpful. I've waded through page upon page of how cool it is to actually subscribe, and that it is cheap, and did we mention how cool it is? Not your fault, I'm a big guy and can find stuff :-).